THE JULIO CESAR MONTENEGRO FUND

Honoring the legacy of connection, empathy and courage

What happens when someone living with dementia is finally seen - not as a patient, but as a person?

The Julio Cesar Montenegro Fund was created out of love, gratitude, and purpose by Carolina Durán, a Colombian daughter whose father is living with dementia. In July 2025, Carolina traveled to Santiago de Compostela with her father, Don Julio Cesar Montenegro, who lives with frontotemporal dementia, to participate in the Walking the Talk for Dementia (WTD) event - a global initiative that brings together 85 key participants including people with dementia, care partners, clinicians, researchers, artists and advocates from over 28 countries to live a transformative journey.

During that week in Spain, something extraordinary happened. Away from labels, stigma, and the silence that often surrounds dementia, Don Julio found a community and said:

“I didn’t know other people in the world lived with the same symptoms I do - and they’re not even from Colombia!”

For Carolina and Don Julio, WTD was a turning point: a place to recover belonging, dignity, hope, and agency. Carolina returned home determined to ensure that others from Colombia can access the same life-changing experience.

That is why she created The Julio Cesar Montenegro Fund.

What Your Donation Makes Possible?

This fund will sponsor the registration and attendance of one person living with dementia and their care partner to represent Colombia during Walking the Talk for Dementia 2026, from June 28 to July 5 in Santiago de Compostela.

Why does this matter?

A Colombian delegation ensures that Latin American voices are represented in a global movement that directly affects their communities.

What Walking the Talk for Dementia Is About?

WTD is built on a simple yet powerful belief: people living with dementia and their care partners are experts in their own lived experiences.

The only way to truly bridge research, policy, and real-life stories is by removing labels and hierarchical structures, and bringing everyone together in an immersive, shared experience, creating space for people to walk side by side and co-create better responses to dementia across cultures.

WTD fosters an inclusive, stigma-reducing environment where global networks of trust, collaboration, and advocacy can emerge and grow. This is not a conventional conference. It is a shared journey with dementia, one that cultivates community, empathy, and a powerful learning movement where insight flows in every direction.

Why Your Support Matters?

For many families in Colombia, attending WTD using their own resources is financially impossible. Travel, visas, registration, and accommodation can exceed €5,000 per family - a barrier that excludes the very people who would benefit the most.

How You Can Help

✔ Donate any amount - no contribution is too small

✔ Share the campaign with friends, colleagues, and networks

✔ Help amplify Colombian voices in dementia advocacy